sandbank modern house showing planting outside in contrasting colour

Garden Design

Bespoke gardens, designed around you and your surroundings

clare in newly established coastal garden on northumberland coast

A successful garden should feel completely at home in its setting.

I design gardens around the character of the site, its architecture, existing features, views, climate and landscape, alongside the way you want to use and enjoy the space.

Projects can range from individual areas of a garden through to a complete redesign, with each scheme developed specifically for the site rather than following a particular formula or style.

Garden design can include:

  • Complete garden design

  • Reworking existing gardens

  • Garden rooms and different areas within a larger space

  • Layout, structure and flow

  • Hard landscaping concepts

  • Planting design

  • Incorporating existing trees, planting and architectural features

Garden Design & Project Management

Every garden is different, and so is the level of help it needs.

I offer a flexible range of garden design, planting, restoration and consultancy services, from a single conversation or planting plan through to the design and management of a complete garden transformation.

My approach is always led by the site, its surroundings and the people who will use it.

Planting Design

Planting that develops beautifully over time

Planting is an important part of how a garden feels.

I create planting schemes that consider colour, structure, texture, seasonality and movement, while also responding to the practical conditions of the site.

This can include naturalistic planting, coastal gardens, country gardens, established borders or completely new planting schemes.

Planting design is available as part of a wider garden design project or as a standalone service.

Project Management

Taking a garden from design to reality

For clients who would like support beyond the design stage, I can oversee the project through to completion.

I have worked with trusted local craftsmen, landscapers and specialist contractors for many years and can bring together the right people for each individual project.

Project management may include:

  • Coordinating contractors and specialist trades

  • Liaising between the client, designer and contractors

  • Monitoring the progress of the work

  • Checking details against the agreed design

  • Resolving practical issues as the project develops

  • Overseeing planting and final details

My role is to keep the original vision for the garden at the heart of the project while making sure the different elements come together successfully.

Garden Restoration & Development

Working with what is already there

Not every garden needs to start again.

Established gardens often contain mature trees, planting, walls, paths and other features that are worth preserving but may have become overgrown, neglected or disconnected over time.

With many years of experience restoring private estate gardens and established landscapes, I can help identify what should remain, what needs to change and how new structure or planting can breathe life back into the garden.

The aim is to respect the history and character of the site while allowing the garden to evolve for its next chapter.

Garden Consultancy

Experienced advice when you need a fresh perspective

Sometimes you don't need a complete garden design.

A consultation can help you make sense of an existing garden, solve a particular problem or decide what to do next.

Consultancy can cover:

  • Planting advice

  • Developing existing borders

  • Specialist or challenging environments

  • Coastal planting

  • Establishing new planting

  • Long-term garden development

  • Garden management plans

  • Practical layout and use of the space

  • Reviewing ideas before committing to larger works

Consultations can take place on site or, where appropriate, by telephone or Zoom.

Garden Management & Long-Term Development

Some gardens benefit from experienced guidance long after the initial design or restoration work has been completed.

I can help develop longer-term plans for established gardens, including seasonal priorities, planting development and how the garden should be managed as it matures.

This can be particularly valuable for larger private gardens and estates where the original design needs to be protected while allowing the garden to continue evolving naturally.

Fees

Design and consultancy work is currently charged at £55 per hour, plus travel where applicable.

Larger design, restoration and project management commissions are discussed individually, as the scope and requirements of every garden are different.

If you're unsure what level of help you need, an initial conversation is often the best place to begin.

Every Garden Begins With a Conversation

Whether you already have a clear idea of what you would like or simply know that your garden isn't quite working for you, I'd be very happy to hear about it.

Discuss Your Garden →